Score validity
Also called test score expiration · score reportable window
Deadline. Michigan Ross states GMAT and GRE must be active at application, and TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE last two years. Stanford GSB requires English scores to be valid on the deadline of the round you enter. A TOEFL taken 23 months before Round 1 can die before an official send. GMAC will report some GMAT results for up to ten years; that extra window is not the same as “valid for admission.”
Score validity is the window during which a testing agency will still report an exam to a school. GMAT and GRE last five years from the test date; TOEFL and IELTS last two. MBA offices often require the score unexpired on the application deadline, not on orientation day (mba.com; ETS; ielts.org).
Valid on test day or valid on the deadline?
Deadline. Michigan Ross states GMAT and GRE must be active at application, and TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE last two years. Stanford GSB requires English scores to be valid on the deadline of the round you enter. A TOEFL taken 23 months before Round 1 can die before an official send. GMAC will report some GMAT results for up to ten years; that extra window is not the same as “valid for admission.”
Agency windows
| Exam | Agency window | Typical MBA rule | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMAT | 5 years valid; reportable up to 10 | Must be valid at application | mba.com |
| Executive Assessment | 5 years; reportable up to 10 | Same idea as GMAT | mba.com |
| GRE | 5 years reportable | Must be valid at application | ETS |
| TOEFL iBT | 2 years; ETS will not send after | Valid on the round deadline | ETS / Stanford |
| IELTS Academic | 2-year partner recommendation | Valid on the round deadline | ielts.org |
Example: GMAT on 1 March 2021. Five-year validity ends 1 March 2026. A September 2026 Round 1 file cannot use it, even if mba.com still shows a PDF in a 10-year archive. Retake, or pick a later round only if a new sitting will post in time.
Common errors
- Dating validity from the score-release day instead of the test date
- Treating GMAC’s 10-year reporting archive as a five-year admissions window
- Letting TOEFL expire between self-report and official send
- Assuming a school will “understand” a 25-month IELTS
FAQ
If my GMAT expires next month, can I still apply this round?
Only if the school’s rule is “valid on the deadline” and that deadline is still inside five years, and the official report will arrive while the score is live. If the deadline is after expiry, the sitting is dead. Schedule a new exam rather than emailing admissions for an exception you will not get.
Do GRE and GMAT expire on the same clock?
Both agencies use five years from the test date. Schools still write their own cutoff inside that window. A GRE that ETS will report next week can be too old for a program that wants scores taken within the last three years. Read the application instructions, not only the ETS page.
Why are English tests only two years?
ETS will not report TOEFL after two years. The IELTS partners recommend two years because of language attrition. MBA programs almost always adopt that window. A five-year-old GMAT and a five-year-old TOEFL are not the same problem; do not send the English score on the GMAT clock.
Related terms
Sources
- GMAT: How Long Are My Scores Valid? GMAT valid 5 years; reportable up to 10 years; older results unavailable
- Getting Your GRE General Test Scores GRE reportable for 5 years following the test date
- Understand Your TOEFL iBT Scores TOEFL iBT valid 2 years; ETS will not report after that
